EC Extends Model Code to Retired Govt Officials in Five States
· India · Times of India, The Hindu
The Election Commission has extended Model Code of Conduct restrictions to retired state government officials engaged or re-employed by state governments in Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, where assembly elections are scheduled for 2027. The poll panel issued a letter to chief secretaries and chief electoral officers stating such individuals must maintain political neutrality and refrain from participating in election campaigns. The Commission noted there have been no specific guidelines or rules relating to the political neutrality and conduct of retired officials during the MCC period. Assembly election terms for Manipur, Goa, Punjab and Uttarakhand end in March 2027, while Uttar Pradesh's assembly term expires in May 2027.
Why it matters
Retired government officials in these five election-bound states will now be bound by the same political neutrality rules as active civil servants, restricting their ability to campaign or lend their former authority to any political party or candidate during the election period.
Read the original report — Times of India
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